» Movies http://1stopmom.com Thu, 24 May 2012 02:02:24 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= Family Movie Night: Game of Your Life Review http://1stopmom.com/2011/12/01/family-movie-night-game-of-your-life/ http://1stopmom.com/2011/12/01/family-movie-night-game-of-your-life/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 05:12:55 +0000 Tricia http://1stopmom.com/?p=7219

I can not stress enough how important it is to watch movies that are appropriate  when we have movie night.  As a parent I don’t want to have to tell my children to cover their eyes or ears if something pops up that they should not hear or see.  This is one of the main reasons I look forward to movies released by Walmart and P&G for Family Movie Night. Everything is family friendly including the commercials.

The newest movie is Game of Your Life and it premieres December 2, 2011 on NBC.

When high school gamer Zach Taylor lands a scholarship to an exclusive video game design program led by billionaire gaming icon Marcus Bentton, his future takes a promising turn… as long as he can survive the intense freshmen project that eliminates half of the class in the first three months.

My family and I had an chance to watch an advanced screening of Game of Your Life.  Zach’s dream is to be a video game designer. He gets one step closer to reaching that dream when he is accepted to the Digital School of Game Design.  Zach is happy to be able to learn from Marcus Bentton, a legend he looks up to.

The opportunity to attend this great school is bittersweet because Zach is very concerned about his family’s financial problems. His dad is a widow and their family business is not going too well.  Zach’s dad doesn’t want him to worry but he can’t help it.

After arriving at the school there is a lot going on. Zach is not able to stay in a dorm, so he will be sharing a loft off campus with two other students. Zach’s  room mates happen to be on his team for the big freshman project. They are designing an interactive game that the entire campus will be able to play. The goal is to check in, make decisions and  see the consequences of those decisions.

While working on the freshman project with his team mates, Zach is offered the opportunity to do a side job for Marcus Bentton. Even though the number one rule at the school is “no outside consulting”, Zach gives the offer some thought.  He makes the decision to accept the job when he finds out his father was turned down for a refinance loan.  The side job and school turns out to be too much for Zach.  He starts to fall asleep in class and begins to not give 100%.  Zach is not sure what he should do because he wants to help his dad and his team mates. It becomes obvious he can’t do both.

Watching  Zach struggle with what he should do and how his decision would affect others presented a great teachable moment. It shows that it can be very difficult to make the right decision when you have a problem.  And it is ok to go to someone for help. Don’t forget to watch Game of Your Life tomorrow on NBC.

Connect with Family Movie Night on Facebook so you will never miss a thing!

I wrote this review while participating in a campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of P&G and received a promotional item to thank me for taking the time to participate.

]]> http://1stopmom.com/2011/12/01/family-movie-night-game-of-your-life/feed/ 2 Spy Kids: All The Time In The World DVD Review http://1stopmom.com/2011/12/01/spy-kids-all-the-time-in-the-world-dvd-review/ http://1stopmom.com/2011/12/01/spy-kids-all-the-time-in-the-world-dvd-review/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2011 03:32:02 +0000 Tricia http://1stopmom.com/?p=7206

We own the first three Spy Kids movie. My entire family loves the first two but did not like the third one too much. This did not stop us from wanting to see the latest Spy Kids movie “All The Time In The World”.

The action packed franchise is back…with the next generation of Spy Kids! Marissa Cortez Wilson (Jessica Alba) has it all: married to a famous spy-hunting television reporter (Joel McHale), with a new baby and intelligent twin step kids, Rebecca and Cecil. When the maniacal Timekeeper  disrupts her domestic bliss—threatening to take over the planet—Marissa comes out of retirement as a top secret agent. With Armageddon quickly approaching, Rebecca and Cecil are thrust into action! With a little help from some familiar Spy Kids friends, Carmen , Juni, their faithful dog Argonaut  and some mind-blowing gadgets, they just may be able to save the world!

Before watching the movie, we talked about exactly how these newer Spy Kids were related to the original ones. Rebecca and Cecil’s dad married Marissa whose sister is Ingrid, Carmen and Juni’s mom. A little bit of a stretch but we don’t mind, not too much.

The movie starts out with a very pregnant Marissa Cortez Wilson chasing down a bad guy. We could not stop laughing about how funny she looked having contractions while fighting Tick Tock’s minions in heels. When she defeats all the minions, there is a ambulance waiting to take her to the hospital. Marissa is an undercover spy who has decided to retire. Her boss doesn’t want her to retire, but she wants to have a normal life.  Her husband and step children have no idea what she does, they think she is a designer.

It just so happens that Marissa’s husband is a reporter for a show called Spy Hunters. But he has never really found a spy, not even the one he is married to. Marissa’s step children are twins who love to compete against one another. Rebecca loves to play practical jokes, especially on her step mom. Marissa tries to bond with Rebecca by giving her a very special necklace. Everything is ok until The Tick Tock escapes, teams up with Tick Tock  and starts stealing time. At first he was stealing a few minutes here and there. He quickly moves up to stealing days.  Time was going by so quickly, no one could keep up. The only thing that could stop the villains is the necklace Marissa gave Rebecca. This is when the adventure starts.

We watched Spy Kids: All The Time In The World on one of our movie nights. We all liked this one more than Spy Kids 3. One of my favorite parts is when we found out that the family dog, Argonaut, was not a real dog but a robot that watches the kids and keeps them safe. It was nice to see some of the gadgets from the  previous Spy Kids movies. My son wished that more gadgets were used in this movie.  He says that is one of his favorite things, spy gadgets. I agree with him, I wanted to see more gadgets too. That is a big part of being a spy. Nannah thought the movie was funny but wanted to see more of Carmen and Junie. It was nice to see the original Spy Kids all grown up and bickering like they used to.

Buy It!
You can get Spy Kids: All The Time In The World on 3 Disc (Blu-Ray, DVD and digital copy) for $19.99

We were provided with a copy of this movie for review purposes. The opinions given are 100% our own as always.
]]> http://1stopmom.com/2011/12/01/spy-kids-all-the-time-in-the-world-dvd-review/feed/ 0 Spooky Buddies DVD Giveaway http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/26/spooky-buddies-dvd-giveaway/ http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/26/spooky-buddies-dvd-giveaway/#comments Thu, 27 Oct 2011 04:34:11 +0000 Tricia http://1stopmom.com/?p=7061

Disney’s loveable Buddies are back in the spine-tingling movie caper SPOOKY BUDDIES. Embarking on a journey to save the world from Warwick the Warlock and the Halloween Hound, this trick-or-treat adventure celebrates friendship, courage, and teamwork.It premiered on Blu-ray, DVD & Movie Download from Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment on September 20th.

It’s Halloween, and Disney’s irresistible talking puppies are back in an all-new movie that takes them far across town to a mysterious mansion where something very spooky is going on. With the help of some unexpected new friends – including a friendly ghost, this trick-or-treat adventure is howling-good Buddy fun. In a race against the Howlloween Hound, the Buddies and their new friends, Pip, Zelda, Rodney and Skip must stop Warlock the Magician — and save the world from his dastardly deeds.

To see what to expect in Spooky Buddies, check out the clips below.

Buddies Are Back

I Can’t Wait for Tonite

All About The Costume

If you really want to get into the Halloween spirit, you can download your own SPOOKY BUDDIES Halloween Buddy Cards, Doggy Biscuits Recipe and Halloween Safety Tips here.

The Giveaway
One lucky 1StopMom reader will win their own copy of Spooky Buddies on DVD.





The prize for this giveaway was provided from the company or its PR agency.

]]> http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/26/spooky-buddies-dvd-giveaway/feed/ 4 CatDog: Season 1 – Part 1 Review and Giveaway http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/21/catdog-season-1-part-1-review-and-giveaway/ http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/21/catdog-season-1-part-1-review-and-giveaway/#comments Sat, 22 Oct 2011 03:30:06 +0000 Tricia http://1stopmom.com/?p=7043

 

A fan favorite, CatDog: Season One – Part One, is a tale of opposites attached starring CatDog, the most unlikely brother duo ever seen. The conjoined brothers love each other yet they are so different, they can’t help but annoy themselves silly with their contrarian activities. Prim and proper, Cat is the very definition of culture, while Dog is the ultimate tail-wagging, sofa-jumping, car-chasing roughneck. But despite their very different personalities, CatDog are the best of friends, sticking to one another — literally — through thick and thin, even when it comes to facing off against their devious neighbor Winslow and the rough ’n’ tough gang of Greaser Dogs!

Since CatDog first premiered on Nickelodeon, my family has been fans. My little cousin who is 5 years old thinks they are the funniest thing ever. TJ likes Cat the best.  Dog is such a happy dog who is pretty naive and Cat always takes advantage of this. Cat is always tricking Dog into doing things. CatDog love to irritate each other which makes the show so funny.

CatDog Season 1 – Part 1 was released on DVD from Shout Factory on October 18th. The two disc set has 10 episodes, which means 2 shows per episode. CatDog ran on Nickelodeon for four seasons, from 1998 until 2001.


Buy It!
Grab a copy of CatDog from Amazon.com for $14.99
The Giveaway
One lucky 1StopMom reader will win CatDog: Season 1- Part 1 on DVD



I was provided with the above item from the company or its PR agency for review purposes. They also provided the prize for this giveaway. Opinions are 100% my own as always.

]]> http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/21/catdog-season-1-part-1-review-and-giveaway/feed/ 5 The True Story of Puss ‘N Boots Review http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/18/the-true-story-of-puss-n-boots-review/ http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/18/the-true-story-of-puss-n-boots-review/#comments Wed, 19 Oct 2011 04:51:35 +0000 Tricia http://1stopmom.com/?p=7020

On October 4, 2011,   kaBOOM! Entertainment , released The True Story of Puss ‘N Boots on dvd. We recently had the opportunity to review a copy of this movie.

The beginning of the movie starts off with the chamblian trying to convince the queen and king how badly the Princess needs a husband. Of course he wants it to be him! It is funny how the queen never understands what anyone is saying and the king is always asleep. The court jester does a lot of translating!

We are than introduced to the Princess who loves to sing and dance and Peter who loves to listen to her every morning. A farmer leaves his youngest son, Peter, the cat, Puss with a promise that he will find his destiny. His older brothers who inherit the mill and thinks that Peter getting the cat is funny.  Peter’s dad tells him to make Puss a pair of red leather boots out of special red leather. His last words are for Peter to always have trust in his cat. Peter is not very happy spending his last night at home making Puss some boots. Puss wants higher heels on his boots, he thinks they make him look short.

Before starting his journey of finding his destiny, Peter’s brothers tease him about being in love with the princess. Peter feels bad because he has no hope that he would really end up with her.

Puss ‘N  Boots  takes Peter to a bar and explains to Peter  just how special he is. He has boots, can talk and whistle. He promises Peter he will marry the princess. In disquise the princess dances and sings at the bar in french.  It was catchy though we can’t understand it, lol. Peter and Puss join in showing some of their dance moves which is pretty funny.

This was an interesting interpretation of Puss ‘N Boots. TJ thought the Chamberlain was funny since he likes makes toad candy for anyone that does not like him or is interested in the princess.  Cat’s voice is  really unique, he rolls his rrrr’s when he speaks. It sounds kind of like of how you will think a talking cat talks. We watched Puss ‘N Boots during movie night and enjoyed it. My nephew was running in and out while he was watching it but a few scenes did catch his attention.

Buy It!

Puss ‘N Boots is available at Amazon.com for $16.49.

 I was provided with the above items from the company or its PR agency for review purposes. Opinions are 100% my own as always.
]]> http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/18/the-true-story-of-puss-n-boots-review/feed/ 12 Movie Night: Paranormal Activity 2 http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/17/movie-night-paranormal-activity-2/ http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/17/movie-night-paranormal-activity-2/#comments Mon, 17 Oct 2011 08:12:21 +0000 Tricia http://1stopmom.com/?p=6978

 A few days ago I saw that Paranormal Activity 2 was added to Netflix. It was only a few months ago that I finally had a chance to catch the first Paranormal Activity, of course it was on Netflix. I really enjoyed the first one. I did not know what to expect and gave the movie my full attention. I did not want to blink because I was afraid I would miss something. I sat there searching with my eyes the entire screen so I would not be caught off guard. Of course I was and jumped throughout the entire movie and even screamed a few time.  I like that kind of movie.

Well Saturday night we watched Paranormal Activity 2. Turned off the all the lights and we were ready. It started off slow, but that was expected. We had to learn a little bit about the family. This could be considered a prequel because this was before everything that happened in part one.

The main characters are Katie’s sister, Kristi and her family. Her husband, step daughter and son. One night there is a burglary and their first thought is install an alarm system, but it is really cameras. We were shown a lot of the video footage from the six camera for about 4 or 5 nights. The build up was very slow. They were not really showing anything. The dog, Abby, getting worked up a few times and a few other “unexplainable activities”. I was tempted to fast foward more than once.

Kristi and Katie referred to incidents that happened when they younger, but they did not go into detail. Katie was adament in not talking about it. Kristi’s step daughter was really interested in what was going on and even investigated a little. This revealed a little more about the history of the sisters, but not much. It was just enough to get you thinking.

I have to say I did not like Paranormal Activity 2 as much as the first one. Too much time was wasted in the beginning. I only jumped once or twice but that was it. As a fan of horror movies, I want to be scared and it did not really happen this time. My opinion of this movie will not prevent me from seeing Paranormal Activity 3.  I want to know how it all started so I will be checking it out!

It bothered me all night where I had seen the woman who played Kristi before. Finally after looking it up, I found out she was on Jericho. Her hair is a different color so it threw me off. (By the way Jericho is also on Netflix and is a great series.)

Have you seen it? What did you think?

]]> http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/17/movie-night-paranormal-activity-2/feed/ 10 Real Steel Giveaway http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/06/real-steel-giveaway/ http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/06/real-steel-giveaway/#comments Fri, 07 Oct 2011 04:58:47 +0000 Tricia http://1stopmom.com/?p=6895

Dreamworks is releasing the movie Real Steel in theatres on October 7, 2011. I saw an advanced screening and it was great! (My review is coming up soon) I am very happy to be hosting a giveaway of a few Real Steel goodies. The goodies are:
- REAL STEEL t-shirt in adult sizes of S, M, L, XL
- REAL STEEL bottle opener
- REAL STEEL stickers
- REAL STEEL temporary tattoos




]]> http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/06/real-steel-giveaway/feed/ 2 National Honey Month & WINNIE THE POOH Blu-ray & DVD (10/25) http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/03/national-honey-month-winnie-the-pooh-blu-ray-dvd-1025/ http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/03/national-honey-month-winnie-the-pooh-blu-ray-dvd-1025/#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2011 09:12:26 +0000 Tricia http://1stopmom.com/?p=6846

Disney Winnie the Pooh DVD

On October 25th, Disney releases WINNIE THE POOH on Blu-ray & DVD! Journey back to the 100 Acre Wood for a heart-warming adventure with Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo, Eeyore and Christopher Robin! Bonus material includes the EXCLUSIVE short “Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon,” deleted scenes and more!

Even though National Honey Month ended a few days ago, you can continue the celebration going with these WINNIE THE POOH-themed recipes and a honey-loving clip! The world’s most beloved bear spends his days in search of the naturally delicious nectar, and now you, too, can enjoy some honey-flavored treats with Pooh.

Download Printable Recipes and Cooking!

Check out the clip below and don’t forget WINNIE THE POOH comes out on Blu-ray and DVD on November 25, 2011.

]]> http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/03/national-honey-month-winnie-the-pooh-blu-ray-dvd-1025/feed/ 6 DUMBO 70th Anniversar​y Edition on Blu-ray and DVD http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/02/dumbo-70th-anniversar%e2%80%8by-edition-on-blu-ray-and-dvd/ http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/02/dumbo-70th-anniversar%e2%80%8by-edition-on-blu-ray-and-dvd/#comments Mon, 03 Oct 2011 04:58:30 +0000 Tricia http://1stopmom.com/?p=6839

The inspirational tale of Dumbo, the courageous baby elephant who uses his sensational ears to soar to fame with the help of his clever best friend Timothy Q. Mouse, will thrill and delight audiences of all ages.

Dumbo was first released in 1941 and at the time was Disney’s fourth animated film. When Jazz was little I bought her a copy on VHS, now that brings back some memories.

To watch the 70th Anniversary Edition of Dumbo is an experience in itself. This was even before I learned how much work went into this updated release.

Faced with the daunting task of restoring the film to its original pristine condition, the Walt Disney Studios Restoration Team turned to the US Library of Congress who store the original 70 year old nitrate camera negative in their film vaults, and for reference, to an original 1941 ‘release’ print, held by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Using this rare nitrate “dye-transfer” Technicolor print for color reference, the team was able to restore Dumbo to the color settings most likely approved by Walt Disney himself, which will be seen in their full splendor for the first time in 70years, on the Blu-ray debut. In addition, the rare film print (housed as part of the UCLA Film and Television Archives collection) proved to be the earliest surviving generation of the original audio for Dumbo which provided a unique source from which to build the new Disney Enhanced Home Theatre (DEHT) mix for the Blu-ray release.

Watching this on Blu-ray, the colors and sounds are beautiful. A big improvement from VHS. We watched Dumbo during family movie night. I told the kids when it was first made and they did not believe me! It was fun to watch the extras.  On the blu-ray disc the bonuses are:

  • Deleted Scene – “The Mouse’s Tale
  • Deleted Song – “Are You a Man or a Mouse?”
  • Taking Flight: The Making of Dumbo – A journey back to the origins of the film as everybody’s favorite baby elephant takes wing.
  • The Magic Of Dumbo: A Ride of Passage – Witness the excitement and magic of Disneyland’s most popular ride through the eyes of a child.
  • Audio Commentary with Pete Docter, Paula Sigman and Andreas Deja
  • Sound Design Excerpt from The Reluctant Dragon
  • Original Walt Disney Television Introduction
  • Cine-Explore
  • Disney View
  • “What Do You See?” Game
  • “What Do You Know?” Game
  • “Celebrating Dumbo” Featurette
  • Animated Short: “The Flying Mouse”
  • Animated Short: “Elmer Elephant”

We were very happy watching Dumbo and appreciate all the hard work put in to restore it. It was nice to watch it in such vibrant colors and hear everything in advanced sound.

You can buy Dumbo 70th Anniversary Edition combo pack at Amazon.com for $23.99.

I was provided with a copy of this DVD for review purposes. No monetary compensation was given. As always the opinion given are 100% my own.
]]> http://1stopmom.com/2011/10/02/dumbo-70th-anniversar%e2%80%8by-edition-on-blu-ray-and-dvd/feed/ 4 Danny Phantom: Season One on DVD http://1stopmom.com/2011/09/27/danny-phantom-season-one-on-dvd/ http://1stopmom.com/2011/09/27/danny-phantom-season-one-on-dvd/#comments Wed, 28 Sep 2011 02:05:38 +0000 Tricia http://1stopmom.com/?p=6812

I will always be a kid at heart. I don’t mind getting comfy and watching animated shows with the kids. I am going to tell the truth, I watch them by myself too, lol. I have quite a few favorites and one of them happens to be Danny Phantom.

 

Featuring 20 spooky and hilarious episodes, Danny Phantom follows the adventures of 14 year old Danny Fenton,  an unpopular but good-natured boy attending Casper High School in his small American hometown. Danny lives with his strange, ghost hunting parents Maddie and Jack as well as an overbearing 16-year-old sister, Jasmine. One day, while exploring his parents’ Ghost Portal, Danny accidentally turns himself into a half ghost boy launching a series of memorable adventures. Accompanied by his best friends Samantha and Tucker, Danny battles ghosts, the spiteful ghost hunter Valerie Gray, his ghost hunting parents all while keeping his new identity a secret!

The kids and I were hooked when we watched the first episode of Danny Phantom back in 2004 on Nick. As a matter fact, we (I) still watch it on NickToons.  I love everything from the theme song to the different adventures in each episode. It is great to finally see the first season on DVD, it took a long time! Now we can watch it whenever we want with no commercials.

Danny Phantom was released on September 13, 2011 from Shout! Factory. This four disc set is around 600 minutes long. You can get a copy of Danny Phantom: Season One at Amazon.com for $27.49

Connect online with Shout Factory on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

I was provided with a copy of this DVD for review purposes. No monetary compensation was given. As always the opinion given are 100% my own.
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